Machine for embossing type-rollers for office machines

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for the embossing of type on cylindrically shaped members, e.g. rollers is described. The semifinished roller is pressed between two embossing tools, each having a flat active surface for embossing the characters. The flat active surfaces are reciprocated longitudinally of themselves and in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the roller being embossed. Each embossing tool is mounted on a slide. These slides are caused to reciprocate in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the roller and 180* out of phase with respect to each other.

United States Patent Maquignaz et al.

[45] Oct. 21, 1975 MACHINE FOR EMBOSSING TYPE-ROLLERS FOR OFFICE MACHINES Inventors: Mario Maquignaz; Bruno Benedetto;

Antonio Lingeri, all of lvrea (Torino), Italy Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.p.A., Ivrea (Torino), Italy Filed: Oct. 25, 1973 Appl. No.: 409,431

Related US. Application Data Division of Ser. No. 112,357, Patent No. 804,006;

Assignee:

Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 5, 1970 Italy 67363/70 US. Cl. 101/7; 72/80; 72/88 Int. Cl. B44B 5/00 Field of Search 101/4, 5, 7, 38-40;

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1891 Sheffield et al lOl/7 X 2,038,759 4/1936 Roberts l0l/7 X 2,3l6,517 4/1943 Huntley et al. l0l/7 3,190,463 6/1965 Cohan l0l/38 R X 3,577,701 5/l97l BOtt et al. 101/7 X 3,783,776 l/l974' Noble et al. lOl/7 Primary ExaminerEdgar S. Burr Assistant ExaminerEdward M. Coven Attorney, Agent, 0r FirmSchuyler, Birch, Swindler, McKie & Beckett [57] ABSTRACT Apparatus for the embossing of type on cylindrically shaped members, e.g. rollers is described. The semifinished roller is pressed between two embossing tools, each having a flat active surface for embossing the characters. The flat active surfaces are reciprocated longitudinally of themselves and in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the roller being embossed. Each embossing tool is mounted on a slide. These slides are caused to reciprocate in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the roller and 180 out of phase with respect to each other.

2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures US. Patent Oct.2l, 1975 SheetlofS 3,913,476

U.S. Patent 0a. 21, 1975 Sheet 2 of 5 FIG.2

U.S. Patent Oct. 21, 1975 Sheet3of5 3,913,476

US. Patent Oct. 21, 1975 Sheet40f5 3,913,476

FIG.4

US. Patent Oct. 21, 1975 Sheet 5 of5 3,913,476

MACHINE FOR EMBOSSING TYPE-ROLLERS FOR OFFICE MACHINES I This is a division of application Ser. No. 112,357,

filed Feb. 3, 1971, now US. Pat. No. 3,804,006.

This invention relates to a machine for embossing typewheels or rollers for office machines, which accomplishes this operation by means of a coining tool or punch whose active surface is caused to roll and is simultaneously pressed against the outer surfaces of the rollers.

Type-rollers, comprising a plurality of type-wheels coaxial to one another and disposed side by side, are normally obtained by an embossing operation carried out by means of a cylindrical coining tool, which is pressed and simultaneously caused to roll on a cylindrical semifinished product. This operation is carried out on a special machine, comprising a pressure roller which pushes the semifinished product, supported thereon at two end cylindrical zones, against the embossing tool which is caused to rotate by suitable means.

This manufacturing process gives rise to further drawbacks. In fact, since the semifinished product is supported by the pressure roller at the end zones only, the working pressures exerted by the embossing tool on the semifinished product are lower at the center, where the camber or convexity of the elastically deformed profile of the semifinished product is greater, and higher at the edges. This uneven distribution of the embossing pressures along the semifinished product gives type-rollers with a curved profile and a convexity facing outwardly, since the permanent deformations produced by the coining are greater where the pressures are higher. Further, due to the aforementioned and cylindrical zones, the semifinished product will be longer than the finished type-roller and therefore an additional cutting operation is required in order to remove the end zones.

The object of the present invention is to avoid the disadvantages enumerated above.

According to the present invention, there is provided a machine for embossing characters on type-wheels or rollers, comprising two embossing tools provided with a flat active surface for generating the characters, means for supporting a wheel or roller so that the active surface cooperates with the side surface of the wheel or roller andexerts coining pressures thereon, and means for reciprocating the embossing tool in a direction perpendicular to that of the axis of the wheel or roller.

For a better understanding of the present invention, two embodiments thereof will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of some parts of the machine of the invention, during embossing a typeroller;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section through the complete machine illustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the machine of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a section of the machine of FIG. 2, taken along the lines VIII-VIII, and

FIG. 5 showsa detail, on an enlarged scale and partially in section, of the plan view of FIG. 3.

FIGS- l-5 show an embodiment of the invention, adapted for coining type-rollers.

Two slides 50 and 51 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3) are. adapted to slide vertically in guides 52 (FIG. 3) against rollers 53 (FIGS. 1 and 2) backed by plates 54 and 55. The

plate 54 is fastened to the machine frame 56 while the plate 55 is longitudinally slidable on columns 57. To the slides 50, 51 there are fastened stamping tools 58, whose active faces S,, are directed towards a working region 59 in which is disposed a semifinished roller S (shown in FIG. 1 only).

Each slide is pushed upwards, as seen in FIG. 2, by a corresponding rod 60 housed in a bush 61, whose upper end coacts, through a pin 62 resiliently mounted on springs 63, with a small wheel 64 adapted to rotate on the lower part of the slides 50 and 51. The lower end of each rod 60 abuts, via a small wheel 66, against a corresponding cam 67.

The cams 67 are integral with a shaft 68 driven by an electric motor and reduction gear unit 70 through a clutch 69. The shaft 68 is supported by a pair of ball bearings 71 in trunnion plates fastened to the machine frame. The cams 67 are offset by 180from one another (FIG. 4) and each of them is substantially heartshaped with an active lobe 72. A rocking lever 73 (FIGS. 1 and 2) pivotally mounted, by means of a pin 74, on an upper plate 75 (FIG. 2) which is integral with the machine frame 56, has a pair of arms provided with small wheels 76 which rest upon the upper surface of the slides 50 and 51.

The plate 55, which carries the slide 51, is integral with a piston 80 of a cylinder 81, which further comprises a second piston 82 slidably mounted, as is the first piston, inside the casing 83 of the cylinder. Both pistons 80 and 82, provided with usual ring seals 84, have sleeveshaped extensions 85 telescoped one inside the other and defining a chamber 86 of variable capacity, adapted to be filled with a hydraulic fluid, for instance, oil. The chamber 86 is in communication through gauged holes 87, with a chamber 88 defined by the piston 80 and the surface of a plate 89 to which the cylinder 89 is secured. A wall 90, which is stationary relative to the casing 83 of the cylinder 81, acts as a support for a plurality of cup-shaped springs 91, which normally urge the piston 80 leftwards, as seen in FIG. 2. Inside the chamber 86, a coil spring 92 normally urges the piston 82 to the right, as seen in FIG. 2. A chamber 95, defined between the piston 82 and the end cover 96 of the cylinder 81, is in communication, through a duct 97, with a suitable source of hydraulic fluid (not shown), for instance, compressed air.

A small reservoir 98 of oil is in communication, through a duct (shown in broken lines in FIG. 5) provided in the wall of the cylinder 81, with the chamber 86 of the cylinder. Preferably, the casing 83 of the cylinder 81 is formed, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, by a plurality of annular members held together by tie rods 99 screwed to the plate 89 and the cover 96 of the cylinder.

An automatic loader 100 (FIG. 3) comprises a stationary guide 101 adapted to receive a plurality of semifinished rollers. The guide feeds the rollers to a zone 102, where a small plunger 103, driven by a hydraulic cylinder 104, is adapted to push a semifinished roller onto a movable guide 105. This movable guide 105 is integral with the rod of a piston 106 (FIG. 2) of a hydraulic cylinder 110, adapted to raise the guide so as to bring the semifinished roller into the working region 59 between the two embossing dies 58.

Two centering spindles 111 (FIGS. 1, 3 and 5), revolving inside corresponding bushes 112 (FIG. 5) can are slidable in boxes 113 fastened to cross members 114. These cross members 114 (FIG. 3) are free to slide in the axial direction inside seats 115 of corresponding cross section provided in the stationary plate 54 and in the movable plate 55. Each bush 112 (FIG. rotatably supports, by means of a pair of bearings 116, the corresponding spindle 111 and is provided with a pair of lugs 117 (FIGS. 5, 3 and 4) to which a pair of small rollers 118 is fastened; between the small rollers of each pair a rod 119 passes; the rod comprises a sloping section 120 between two straight sections parallel to the longitudinal axis of the machine.

Each rod 119 has one end adapted to slide in a corresponding guide 121 (FIG. 3) integral with one cross member 114, while the other end is coupled in a slot 122 (FIG. 2) provided in one arm of a bellcrank lever 124. This bell-crank lever is pivotally mounted, by means of a pin 125, to an extension of the cross members 114 and can be pivoted by a hydraulic cylinder 126 whose rod 127 is pivotally mounted on one arm 128 of said lever. Preferably, but not necessarily, a plate 129 is fastened to the cross member 114 (FIG. 3), biased by springs 130 resting upon the plate 54 of the machine frame.

In operation, assume first that the pistons 80 and 82 (FIG. 2) of the cylinder 81 are in the positions shown in FIG. 2, that is to say in the respective end-of-stroke positions inside the cylinder. This condition occurs when air has been discharged from the chamber 95. In the absence of compressed air in the chamber, the spring 92 inside the chamber 86 will hold the piston 82 to the right, as seen in FIG. 2, while the cup-shaped springs 91 will hold the piston 80 (and therefore the plate 55 upon which the slide 51 rests) to the left.

Now, by feeding compressed air into the chamber 95 through the duct 97, the piston will be displaced to the left and, during its stroke, the oil contained inside the chamber 86 will be pressurized and caused to flow out through the gauged holes 87, until it reaches the chamber 88. Due to the high ratio between the surfaces of the cross sections of the piston 82 and the chamber 86, the oil contained inside the latter is brought to a pressure for higher than that of the air compressed in the chamber 95, the pressures of the two fluids being in the same ration as that of the two surfaces (in the example shown, this ratio is about 1 to 14). The oil under pressure, flowing into the chamber 88, will act upon the piston 80 of large surface, applying to the latter a force directed to the right, as seen in FIG. 6, which is sufficient to overcome the bias exerted by the cup-shaped springs 91. In this manner, the piston 80 with the plate 55 and the slide 51 will be displaced to the right, until a part integral with the piston (which, in the example shown comprises a ring 131) will abut against a stop (i.e., a ring 132). In these conditions, the zone 59 comprised between the embossing tools 58 becomes sufficiently wide for introducing therein a semifinished type-roller.

The semifinished roller S is of substantially cylindrical shape and is provided with a plurality of grooves separating the various type-wheels forming the finished type-roller, as well as with a pair of axial end holes for the introduction of the spindles 111 (FIGS. 1, 3 and 5) which support the roller during machining. The semifinished rollers are manually loaded on the stationary guide 101 (FIG. 3) on which they will roll to reach the zone 102.In order to push the semifinished products up to the working area, the cylinder 104 is actuated,

whereby the small plunger 103 pushes a roller on to the guide 105. By repeating this operation a suitable number of times, the semifinished roller will be pushed belowthe working area 59 (FIG. 2). Then the cylinder 1 10 is actuated, which will raise the guide 105, thereby bringing the roller disposed thereon into the working region between the embossing tools 58.

Before the semifinished roller reaches the working region, and simultaneously with the aforementioned operations of automatic displacement of the semifinished roller, the piston 126 is actuated (FIG. 2), so as to pivot the lever 124 inv a counterclockwise direction and, therefore, to axially displace the rods 119 (FIGS. 2 and 3). By the end of this displacement, the sloping section of each rod, 120, which in FIG. 3 is on the left hand side of the small rollers 118, will be on the opposite side of the small rollers. The sloping sections 120, by coacting with the small rollers 118, will displace the bushes 112 (FIG. 5), which will slide in the boxes 113, thereby moving the spindles 111 away from the working region 59 and allowing the insertion of the semifinished roller between them.

After the semifinished roller has been brought into the working region in the manner described above, by actuating again the piston 126 the rods 1 19 are brought back to the position shown in FIG. 3, thereby inserting the spindles 111 inside the end holes of the semifinished roller.

By subsequently releasing the air pressure inside the chamber 95 (FIG. 2), the piston 82 is brought back to the right hand end-of-stroke position by the spring 92,

the oil contained in the chamber 88 flows into the chamber 86 and the piston 80 is pushed to the left by the action of the cup-shaped springs 91. In this manner, the slide 51 is pushed against the semifinished roller and the two embossing tools 58 will exert thereon pressures which depend only on the force exerted by the springs 91, that can obviously have any predetermined value. It is to be noted that, during the application of the pressure on the semifinished product, besides the displacement of the slide 51 to the left,'a displacement of the semifinished product carried by the spindles 111 in the same direction but equal to one half of the displacement of the slide will take place, due to the fact that the cross members 1 14, which are integral with the boxes 113, are movable axially relative to the plates 54 and 55, as already stated.

Now, by energizing the electric motor (FIG. 2), the shaft 68 which is integral with the earns 67 will be rotated. These cams will reciprocate vertically the rods 60, and therefore a corresponding slides 50, and 51 which rest thereon. The rocking lever 73, whose arms act upon the upper surfaces of the slides 50 and 51, ensures that as one slide moves up, the other moves down.

Therefore, the semifinished roller mounted on the spindles 111 is roller to and fro bythe embossing tools 58, while pressure sufficient for stamping the characters are exerted thereon.

Upon completion of the embossing operation, the type-roller is discharged from the machine, by reversing the operations described above. After the slide 51 has been displaced to the right, as seen in FIG. 3, the

. plate 129, urged by the springs 130, will displace the cross members 114 and therefore the spindles 111, in

the same direction, thereby separating the finished type-roller from the embossing tool of the slide 50, to which tool the roller could just possibly adhere.

The embodiments of the invention described hereinabove are only exemplary of the principles of the inven- 5 tion. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and is not limited by the descriptive material hereinabove.

We claim: l

1. Apparatus for embossing a cylindrically shaped blank to have at least a row of characters extending on its cylindrical surface, comprising:

means for supporting said cylindrically shaped blank in said apparatus in a position to permit embossing on the cylindrical surface thereof,

a pair of movable die members each having an active surface adjacent said cylindrical surface when said cylindrically shaped blank is supported by said supporting means,

said active surface being a flat surface having characters for embossing said blank,

means for automatically moving one of said die members laterally along a first direction towards said cylindrically shaped blank at the beginning of each embossing cycle so that said active surface contacts said cylindrical surface and for automatically removing said die laterally from said cylindrically shaped blank at the end of each embossing cycle,

said moving means comprising:

an hydraulic cylinder,

a first piston axially movable in said cylinder,

a source of hydraulic fluid connected to a chamber defined by said cylinder and said first piston for moving said first piston,

a second piston axially movable in said cylinder and defining a second chamber therewith, said second piston, defining together with said first piston a third chamber for hydraulic fluid, said second and third chambers being in fluid flow communication, said second piston being connected to said movable die member, whereby the movements of said first piston causes fluid flow from said third to said second chamber and thereby the lateral movement of said second piston and said die member,

means for urging said die member against said cylindrical surface for exerting embossing pressure thereon, and

means for repeatedly reciprocating said die members in a direction perpendicular to the first direction, including means for causing said die members to be out of phase one with the other in their reciprocal movement.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said urging means comprises a spring with an end fixed to said cylinder and the other fixed to said second movable piston, said spring being loaded so as to exert an embossing pressure against said second piston when said movable die member is in contact with said blank. 

1. Apparatus for embossing a cylindrically shaped blank to have at least a row of characters extending on its cylindrical surface, comprising: means for supporting said cylindrically shaped blank in said apparatus in a position to permit embossing on the cylindrical surface thereof, a pair of movable die mEmbers each having an active surface adjacent said cylindrical surface when said cylindrically shaped blank is supported by said supporting means, said active surface being a flat surface having characters for embossing said blank, means for automatically moving one of said die members laterally along a first direction towards said cylindrically shaped blank at the beginning of each embossing cycle so that said active surface contacts said cylindrical surface and for automatically removing said die laterally from said cylindrically shaped blank at the end of each embossing cycle, said moving means comprising: an hydraulic cylinder, a first piston axially movable in said cylinder, a source of hydraulic fluid connected to a chamber defined by said cylinder and said first piston for moving said first piston, a second piston axially movable in said cylinder and defining a second chamber therewith, said second piston, defining together with said first piston a third chamber for hydraulic fluid, said second and third chambers being in fluid flow communication, said second piston being connected to said movable die member, whereby the movements of said first piston causes fluid flow from said third to said second chamber and thereby the lateral movement of said second piston and said die member, means for urging said die member against said cylindrical surface for exerting embossing pressure thereon, and means for repeatedly reciprocating said die members in a direction perpendicular to the first direction, including means for causing said die members to be 180* out of phase one with the other in their reciprocal movement.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said urging means comprises a spring with an end fixed to said cylinder and the other fixed to said second movable piston, said spring being loaded so as to exert an embossing pressure against said second piston when said movable die member is in contact with said blank. 